Jacob W. Earheart Fights For the Confederacy

During the winter of 1861-1862, the 11th Texas infantry was formed in Houston, Texas.  Many of these men were recruited in the towns of Clarksville, Henderson, and Marshall, and  counties of Cherokee and Shelby with the commander being, Colonel O.M. Roberts. My great grandfather was from Galvaston, Texas being born there in 1843.  His parents, my great-great grandfather and great-great grandmother were originally from South Carolina.  Jabob at the time was 20 years old and single.  It is anyones guess as to whether or not he was ready to go to war or not.  Colonel Roberts was the President of the Texas Secession convention in 1861.  He later resigned from the Confederate army in 1864 to become Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court.  After the war he practiced law in Tyler and Gilmer before becoming Chief Justice for the second time.  He then became Govenor of Texas and served two terms then retired to teach law at the University of Texas that was established in 1883.  He was the first president and organizer of the Texas State Historical Society.My Father, Lewis Earheart was born also in Texas as were all twelve of his brothers and sisters. My dad has a twin sister named Lois who is also still living.  They are both 90 at this time.  I remember my grandfather, Henry A. Earheart with the feeling of how much I used to love to visit him and my grandmother in Ardmore, Oklahoma, where I was born.  I remember how different it seemed from California where I lived at the time.  The thrill of taking a bath in a galvanized wash tub (at thirteen, no less).  Fried chicken from a freshly killed chicken, which horrified me when I found that out.  I guess I thought they came from stores.  Lightening bugs at night that we chased with jars, Sitting on the front porch talking until late in the night.  No T.V, or anything else computerized, and yet I hated to leave.  My quest to search for my relatives brought this thrill when I found out I had a relative in the Civil War, especially the Confederacy.  This gave me a whole new outlook on life.  Before it seemed like a movie, now I feel a have a wonderful legacy to pass on the my boys and my grandson. 

For many southerners, the election of Abraham Lincoln was equal to a declaration of war on the south. Sam Houston, argued against secession.  Houston felt that if Texas did separate from the Union, she would fare better as am independant republic than as a member of the confederacy.  Houston's views, carried little weight among the secessionists in the state.  The people of Texas elected delegates to a secession convention in Austin.  As a result 177 delegates were elected.  The convention met on January 28, 1861.  Four days later on February 1, it's members voted by a margin of 166 to 8 to secede.  They drafted and signed an Ordinance of secession, which "repealed and annulled" the Texas annexation laws of 1845.  Sam Houston refused to take the oath of allegiance to the newly organized Confederate government.  The convention declared the govenor's office vacant and administered the oath of office to Edward Clark who had previously served as lieutenant-governor.

Jacob Miller a distant relative of Jacob Earheart was born in England in 1752 and died in Columbia county, Georgia at about 1820.  He lived with his parents in Fredricksburg, Virginia.  He then moved to North and South Carolina.  Jacob served as a private in Capt George Liddell's South Carolina militia.  He received land in  Camden South Carolina for his service in the war.  He later married Catherine Maloy and together they had 12 children, ten of whom got married.  In January of 1793 he served in the 9th Regiment of the Kentucky Militia under Brigadier General Robert Todd's command.  Jacob and the other "Hands" were employed in the cutting of wood and hauling of stone, coal at the State Creek Furnace from January 1, 1793 to 1794 at Lexington, Kentucky

William Ramsey, 1756 to 1841, a distant relative of mine took the colonial oath of allegiance and enlisted early in the war of independence as a captain.  He was16 at the time.  When reconnoiting one day he unexpectedly met two mounted British officers, one of whom he captured.  "Notwithstanding he himself was on foot."  The government presented him with the sword of the officer he captured in recognition of his bravery and agility.  After the surrender of Yorktown he started for home and becoming weary on the way home he hung the cumbrous sabre on the limb of a tree and left his trophy there, which in after years he greatly regretted.  (copied from History of Washington County, Pennsylvania, 1882

A friend of mine who is also an RN, has a daughter who is in the Naval ROTC in High School.  She is also in the Color Guard,  She wrote and had copyrighted this poem which I would like to share with fellow readers because I feel to be young, talented and extremely patriotic is sometimes a rarity. 

                                                        A Soldier From Day One  

A soldier from day one, five years old running around.

A General's son, trying not to make a sound.

A soldier from day one.

eighteen years old joining the marines.

Knowing he could never have fun,

since he was now making sure the barracks were clean.

A soldier from day one.

Twenty years old being sent out to fight,

out in full gear getting beat by the sun.

not knowing a sniper had him in plain sight,

A soldier from day one.

Twenty years, four months, and two days old.

The enemy sniper's deed was done,

The soldier's body now cold,

a soldier from day one, a general's son.

Black car outside,

summer day with a high tide,

a soldier from day one.

The soldier's father receiving a letter,

a soldier from day one, for worse or for better.

A poem by Rachel L. Hoff.  Fifteen and one half years old